Lupus Warrior Dr. Latonya Bias' Guide To Scalp & Hair Confidence

Picture this: you’re knee deep in wash day activities when something stops you cold. Clumps of hair are coming from your scalp as you detangle. 

Dr. Latonya Bias knows that moment intimately. “I noticed strands coming out in my hands,” she recalls. “My edges were disappearing. I just froze.” The plot twist? Even as a certified trichologist and licensed cosmetologist with three decades of experience navigating the “invisible illness,” lupus, she still wasn’t prepared for the moment hair loss entered the chat.

“Sometimes knowledge becomes overwhelming because you understand exactly how unpredictable an autoimmune disease can be,” she admits. 

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1. Less is more

When your body is in a flare-up, your scalp is already overwhelmed. Per Dr. Bias, this is not the time to experiment with new products or push through with your usual routine. Her golden rule is to simplify everything. “Use gentle sulfate-free cleansers, reduce tensions, and avoid harsh chemicals.”

2. Stock products with the right ingredients

Dr. Bias spent three years testing formulas to find what genuinely works for inflamed, autoimmune-compromised scalps. These are the three ingredients she stands behind, and why they work whether you have lupus or not:

• Fenugreek – Stimulates the scalp and promotes absorption of other ingredients. Especially important during flare-ups when the scalp needs encouragement to respond to treatment.
• Aloe Vera – Reduces inflammation and soothes scalp irritation. 
• Batana Oil – Deeply hydrates and calms the scalp. Unlike coconut oil (which can trigger sensitivities), batana oils are gentler on reactive systems and help lock in moisture without overloading inflamed follicles.

These ingredients can be found in her full line of scalp and hair care products, L3 Eminent Contrive.

Having a good trichologist is not a luxury. It’s part of your care plan.

3. Get professional support

“Having a good trichologist is not a luxury. It’s part of your care plan,” Dr. Bias explains. A trichologist specializes in scalp and hair disorders and can create a targeted treatment protocol that works alongside your existing medical management.

Here’s what to ask your trichologist:

• Is my hair loss linked to inflammation, medication, or both?
• Which ingredients should I avoid given my specific condition?
• What does a realistic regrowth timeline look like for me?
• How do I adjust my routine during active flare-ups vs. remission?

• Is my hair loss linked to inflammation, medication, or both?
• Which ingredients should I avoid given my specific condition?
• What does a realistic regrowth timeline look like for me?
• How do I adjust my routine during active flare-ups vs. remission?

And once you have a plan? Consistency is everything. “Healing takes time, especially when lupus is involved,” Dr. Bias says. Two steps forward, one step back is still progress.

4. Give yourself permission to grieve, then rebuild

Here’s the part nobody tells you in the doctor’s office: hair loss is grief. As Black women, it especially affects our identity, confidence, relationships, and mental health. Dr. Bias wishes more medical professionals would acknowledge this out loud, instead of handing over a diagnosis and sending you home.

To the woman standing in that mirror right now, grieving her hair, feeling like she’s lost a piece of herself, Dr. Bias has a message that hits different when you know she has stood in that exact spot: “Give yourself grace. Speak kindly to yourself. You are allowed to grieve but you don’t have to stay there. As long as you can look up, you can get up and keep going.”

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